Life Sciences Partnerships Lead

Location: Hybrid in San Francisco or New York City, United States

Salary: $400,000–$445,000 annual base pay, plus equity, performance-related bonuses for eligible employees, and benefits.

Company

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company developing general-purpose artificial intelligence products with a focus on safety and human benefit.

What you will do

• Lead full-lifecycle strategic partnerships from partner strategy and executive alignment through commercial negotiation, execution, and operating reviews.
• Identify and prioritize opportunities across pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, AI-native discovery platforms, research institutions, and experimental labs.
• Translate partner needs, scientific workflows, technical constraints, and market dynamics into product and program recommendations with Research, Product, and Engineering.
• Structure partnership data, deployment, governance, and commercial models with Legal, Finance, Safety, Research, and other cross-functional teams.
• Coordinate with Health, GTM, GSI/MSSP enablement, and cloud service provider partnership teams to expand ecosystem adoption and measurable impact.
• Build trusted relationships with senior executives, scientific leaders, and technical counterparts while clarifying blockers, decisions, and tradeoffs.

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, product partnerships, business development, or general management across the life sciences and technology industries.
• Deep understanding of the life sciences ecosystem, including scientific workflows, business models, incentives, and key industry dynamics.
• Experience leading complex strategic partnerships spanning research or scientific collaboration, technical execution, commercial terms, go-to-market strategy, and long-term platform alignment.
• Ability to engage credibly with scientific, technical, product, and business leaders and translate between their priorities.
• Effective cross-functional leadership and ability to drive progress through influence rather than formal authority.
• Clear communication, structured thinking, and sound prioritization in fast-moving and ambiguous environments.
• Exceptional judgment and integrity.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work based in San Francisco or New York City.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, paid parental and medical leave, paid time off, company holidays, and paid sick or safe time.
• Mental health and wellness support, employer-paid basic life and disability coverage, and an annual learning and development stipend.
• Daily office meals, eligible meal delivery credits, commuter benefits, relocation support for eligible employees, and additional taxable fringe benefits.

Hiring process

• More details about benefits are provided during the hiring process.
• Background checks are administered in accordance with applicable law for US-based candidates.